Would just two discus be a bad idea

[discolove]

Well to start off I have a 55g tank with only one discus and other fish in there as well.

I have 1 discus 2 cory cats, 2 clown loach, 3 angels, 9 tetras, red tail shark, 2 plecos and 3 gouramis for a total of 23 fish.

I want to add another discus however through some searching I have found that many think its a bad idea to have just two for the sake of bullying occuring. Could I be alright if I were to find another discus of the same size to keep bullying at bay or is inevitable with less then 6 discus? I also do not want to keep from overstocking. While it may not be overstocked now, I know my current fish will grow in time.

[Eddie]

The thing about discus is the varying personalities. Sure, 2 fish can do well together but it is best to find those 2 do well together first. In a school of about 6, you can find which ones are aggressive and which are more laid back. There will always be some bickering but you can find 2 that do well and keep those together. Throwing one fish into an environment that has been well established by one discus can create some tension. You just never know what the outcome will be so it would be advised to not go that route.

Hope that helps,

Eddie

[John_Nicholson]

It is not just that 2 discus is a bad idea but also the other fish that are in the tank. It is a recipe for disaster. You probably should go one way or the other. (i.e. All discus or no discus )

-john

[discolove]

Well the other fish and the discus get along just fine, whether that will change I do not know. The only fish that gave any problems with the disc was a pink kissing gourami and he was removed and given away. My discus never seems stressed and roams the entire tank without any problems. I wish I could turn it into an all discus tank but I don't have the money nor time for another.

[keef]

Well to start off I have a 55g tank with only one discus and other fish in there as well.

I have 1 discus 2 cory cats, 2 clown loach, 3 angels, 9 tetras, red tail shark, 2 plecos and 3 gouramis for a total of 23 fish.

I want to add another discus however through some searching I have found that many think its a bad idea to have just two for the sake of bullying occuring. Could I be alright if I were to find another discus of the same size to keep bullying at bay or is inevitable with less then 6 discus? I also do not want to keep from overstocking. While it may not be overstocked now, I know my current fish will grow in time.

Hi, firstly sounds like a lovely community tank you have there. I'd say if they are all getting along in beautiful harmony then don't mess with it. Everything may be ok with you current Discus, but add another & things will start to get a bit conjested in there. A pecking order between the two will almost certainly occur, even if they are the same size; as Eddie said, there is no accounting for personalities. I also found in my early Discus days that Clown Loach & especially red tail Sharks can stress Discus out in the long run. Stressed out Discus ultimately lead to disease outbreaks. This in turn could have a knock on effect on your Clown Loach which are vulnerable to disease outbreaks.

Then again everything could be fine, just depends on how much you value your current fish in the event of a large scale meltdown. Sorry to sound pessimistic, but I think you'd be better leaving as is or switching entirely to a Discus tank.
Keith

[discolove]

I think I will do just that, I will leave well enough alone at this point. In the future though I am for sure going the all discus route.

[Jhhnn]

Discus have personalities. The most harmonious groups seem to be those from the same hatch, raised together their whole lives. I think the interplay between individuals is often more subtle, more nuanced than we perceive, and better developed among fish who've grown up together...